After 2 Hamilton fires that killed 6 people, fire officials stress smoke alarms

Five people inside a house on Grenfell Avenue nearly two weeks ago had no warning that the house was burning, a provincial fire officialsaid Wednesday.

Three of the four smoke alarms in the home were discovered on the second floor, "without any batteries," said Wayne Romaine, supervisor with the Office of the Fire Marshal, which investigates fatal fires across the province. The fourth was working, but was located too far away from the heat and smoke of the fire's origin.

The three deaths in that fire added up to six fatalities in house fires in less than two months in Hamilton.

The tragedies moved fire officials to hold a press conference on Wednesday to push homeowners to check their fire alarms and emphasized to renters that they should check, also.

"These preliminary findings tell us early detection was not afforded the victims in either of these fires," Romaine said. "They also reinforce the importance of having a working smoke alarm. Not only should that smoke alarm be functioning and working, but it has to be properly maintained."

Hamilton's fire chief, David Cunliffe, said the department is looking at "re-implementing" door-to-door campaigning to inspect and install smoke alarms in homes that don't have them.

"Certainly if we have residents in our city that are having to make the determination to buy food or buy a smoke alarm, we ask them to call us," Cunliffe said. "We're happy to go in and make sure that the resident's safe."

"At the end of the day, we are not in every single one of these residences, and it will take somebody to tell us that there is an issue," he said.

More details on fatal fire on Grenfell Ave.

Fire prevention officer Bob Simpson said three nonfunctional smoke alarms could lead to charges under the Ontario Fire Code. Each charge of "failure to install" smoke alarms, carries a maximum fine of $50,000.

The fire on Grenfell Ave. has been determined to have started in a northeast bedroom in the home, Romaine said. One person died in that room and was recovered from there, while the other two people who died left the house themselves but were pronounced dead outside.

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Another fatal fire on Niagara Street in August also happened without warning, Romaine said Wednesday at the Hamilton Fire Department headquarters downtown.

• Mother and 2 children ID'd as victims of deadly Hamilton fire; 7 others injured

There was one smoke alarm found in that house, but it didn't have a battery and was so damaged by the fire it couldn't be tested further.

Romaine said there's no evidence that there was an audible alarm that alerted residents to the fire.

Neighbours leaping into action

Cunliffe said it was "heroic" whenJonathan Davidson entered the burning home on GrenfellAve.

"If it wasn't for him we would've had significantly more fatalities," Cunliffe said.

But, he warned others against entering burning homes without training.

See more highlights from the Wednesday morningpress conference below. On mobile? Click here.